The present invention relates to a dialysate meter for measuring the conductivity in a hemodialysis bath.
In the past, it has been common to monitor the dialysate in a hemodialysis bath to ascertain that the electrolyte solution has not become diluted or more concentrated than desired to maintain the proper operating conditions for dialysis since the dialysate is an electrolyte solution, it can be monitored with direct conductivity measured between predetermined electrodes at a predetermined spacing in the electrolyte solution. This has commonly been done in the past by removing a small amount of dialysate solution and placing it into a special container and then taking the container to a different position in a laboratory and measuring the conductivity of the solution. This requires an electrical circuit to compensate for temperature differentials because the dialysate solution is being placed in a different container in a room with different temperature and being moved to a different position. The present invention is directed to a simplified dialysate meter which takes an instantaneous reading of the solution being withdrawn from the hemodialysis bath, so that it is unnecessary to make adjustments for temperature variation between the solution being measured and the temperature of the hemodialysis bath. This allows a reliable low cost meter to be produced for additional monitoring of the electolyte solution in the hemodialysis bath in a portable meter.